


I'll Bleed And Fight For You

by jack_hunter



Category: Star Wars Original Trilogy, Star Wars: Rebels, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Baby Jacen, Fluff, Gen, Hera Syndulla is the best, Light Angst, The Rex and Luke meeting we deserve, grandpa rex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-09
Updated: 2020-10-09
Packaged: 2021-03-07 22:15:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,994
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26904970
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jack_hunter/pseuds/jack_hunter
Summary: "Where are you taking me?""I'm about to change your life!""Then, by all means, lead the way!"---or, the Rex and Luke meeting they deserve feat. baby Jacen and Grandpa Rex!
Relationships: CT-7567 | Rex & Jacen Syndulla, CT-7567 | Rex & Luke Skywalker, Hera Syndulla & Jacen Syndulla
Comments: 8
Kudos: 142





	I'll Bleed And Fight For You

**Author's Note:**

  * For [LessAttitudeMoreAltitude](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LessAttitudeMoreAltitude/gifts).



Ever since the Rebellion had to abandon Yavin IV, most of Rex’s time was spent with the  _ Ghost  _ assisting the Spectres on their missions. Being two family members down wasn’t easy on anyone, and with the newest member - little Spectre 7 - having just arrived it was all hand on deck everyday. The least Rex could do for this team that gave him the chance to fight for what was right again was help them whenever he could. It took some time to adjust to sleeping in Kanan’s cabin, but Hera had told him that it was just gathering dust anyways. (Rex had made sure to not touch anything of Kanan’s that had remained in there, though most of his belongings had been moved to Hera’s cabin)

The  _ Ghost  _ had become a new home to him, one he hadn’t felt he had since the Clone Wars. Even on Seelos there was always something missing. Not anymore. He had a purpose again, even if most of the time he was just babysitting. He was getting old, and his knees certainly weren’t what they used to be. Jacen didn’t seem to mind, the little cadet crawling all over him and babbling nonsense that Rex just pretended he understood. That’s what he had been doing that day: watching baby Jacen whilst the Ghost was on a supply run, taking his charge on tours of the command ship and attempting to feed the kid his lunch. Did you know that Twi’leks cannot eat chocolate? They’re allergic, but where a full Twi’lek would be disgusted by the mere smell of it, Jacen seemed to love the scent and Rex had to keep wrestling the young boy away from Sabine’s box of treats. It didn’t help that this one-year-old could move things with his mind. “I’m far too old for this,” Rex muttered under his breath, snatching the chocolate bar from mid air and shoving it into his trouser pockets before Jacen could grab it with his little hands. The boy’s face fell and his lip began to wobble, but Rex scooped him up and held him close before the tears could fall. 

“Sorry, kiddo, you’re not allowed to eat that,” Rex said to Jacen, patting the kid’s back as he grabbed one of the slices of meiloorun from his lunch container. He handed the fruit to Jacen and the young boy immediately forgot all about the chocolate, taking the slice with a babble and shoving it right into his mouth. Rex snorted a laugh, shifting Jacen onto his hip so he could sneakily slip the chocolate bar back where it came from and clean up the mess the two of them had made. 

Caring for Jacen brought back a lot of memories for Rex, mostly of the cadets back on Kamino before the Clone Wars began, but also of the young padawan that had arrived on Christophsis with no armour and a snippy attitude that was far too big for her tiny body. It made his heart pang as he thought of Ahsoka, of how she was lost like most of his brothers were. He didn’t get to say goodbye to her, or to Anakin. Anakin… what had happened to him? Had he died when Order 66 was issued? It was so long ago yet Rex still remembered the day as if it had just happened, how he had turned his blasters on his best friend whilst they were returning to Coruscant from Mandalore. If he had just been quicker, or spoken up a bit more, if he had listened to Fives maybe-

Jacen hit Rex’s cheek, getting the older man’s attention, “ _ Baba _ !” He said, somehow looking angry for a child that had only a slightly better attention span than Ezra. Rex tickled under the boy’s chin until he was giggling and gurgling, letting himself smile too. Jacen was force sensitive, maybe he could feel Rex’s emotions? He didn’t know. 

“Was I not paying enough attention to you, little cadet? Huh?” Rex asked him, but Jacen didn’t know enough words to reply properly. He just continued his babbling as they left the small conference room that often doubled as the play room for the children of Alliance members. They left at the right time, as Hera was walking down the hallway towards them. She looked tired, but was smiling, so the mission must have been a success. 

“ _ Maman _ !” Jacen said with a bright smile that made Rex melt. He squirmed about until Rex put him down on the floor, letting the kid waddle over to his mother’s outstretched arms. Hera scooped her son up and peppered kisses across his face. 

“ _ Maman’s _ missed you, baby!” Hera cooed, "did you have fun with your  _ Papi  _ today?” Jacen giggled. Rex watched the two for a moment before joining them, handing Hera Jacen’s lunch box. 

“He’s been as good as gold, like always,” Rex informed Hera. The General smiled, “how was your mission?”

“Nothing we couldn’t handle,” Hera replied through tight lips. Rex knew what that meant. Don’t ask, not with the little ears around. Rex just nodded, “but there was one good thing to come of the mission.”

“Oh?” Rex asked. Hera, with her free hand, motioned for Rex to follow her. Not much was said as they walked through the command ship, but they were heading in the direction of the hangar bay so a part of him thought they were going to the Ghost. Perhaps they had brought him a gift? Rex’s shelf in  ~~ his ~~ Kanan’s cabin was adorned with random trinkets he had been gifted over the years. His favourite was a smooth, multi-coloured rock that Ahsoka had brought him back from one of her first solo missions as a padawan. (“Got you a rock!” she had said, tossing the stone at Rex from across the hangar. The rock had nearly hit his bucket but he’d caught it in time, and had carried it everywhere since.) The captain’s face fell again. He had to shake his head to clear the thoughts from his mind before the tears started to well up. It wasn’t the time. He could reminisce when he was alone. 

Hera didn’t take Rex to the  _ Ghost _ . As the three of them entered the hangar bay, Hera instead took Rex and Jacen to the complete other side where lines of X-Wings were being refuelled and cleaned up. Most of the pilots had left the hangar to leave the mechanics to their work, so Rex just felt confused as he followed the general through the aisle between the ships. 

“Um, where are you taking me?” He asked. 

“I’m about to change your life,” Hera responded with a smirk. Rex raised an eyebrow. 

“Then, by all means, lead the way.” The paintjobs on the X-Wings turned from green to black to red, and in the far corner one ship was a little more beat up than the others. There weren’t any mechanics around, but a blue and white R2 unit was rolling about carrying spare parts. A familiar R2 unit. 

“R2?” Rex said, more so to himself, but the droid heard and turned it’s dome head in Rex’s direction. He began beeping and whistling excitedly, dropping the parts he was carrying in its scomplink and speedily wheeling over to bump into Rex’s leg. The clone captain knelt down, a hand resting atop R2-D2’s dome. He couldn’t believe it. It was R2! How? Artoo beeped and tapped Rex with his scomplink and Rex laughed. “I missed you too, buddy.” Beside them, Hera smiled and Jacen babbled, not paying any attention as he spotted a shiny light on a different ship. 

“OW! Scrap-rats!” Came a voice from inside the cockpit of the X-Wing. The voice made Rex look up, but when he saw nothing he glanced over at Hera. The general rolled her eyes, but as soon as she saw Rex looking at her, her smile turned… sly? Hera cleared her throat. 

“Lieutenant Skywalker!” She called out. Rex froze. What?

“Yeah!” Came a reply from the ship. Like a Loth-Cat in the grass, the face of a young man popped up from the cockpit. He had sandy blond hair and blue eyes and looked exactly like- “oh, General Syndulla!” The boy stood up and hopped out of the ship, sliding down the attached ladder until he was on the hangar floor. His flight suit was dirty, covered in grease and oil. One of his boots was unlaced. His gloves were hanging out of one of his pockets and right there, clipped on his belt, was the same lightsaber that Rex’s best friend once fought with. The pilot saluted Hera who raised a hand to put him at ease, “what can I do for you, Ma’am?” Hera turned to Rex, who had stood back up. Artoo rolled over to the lieutenant and bumped into his legs, earning him a pat on the dome. 

“Rex, I would like you to meet Luke Skywalker,” Hera said, nodding at the man, “he is one of our new pilots in Red Squadron,” Hera turned back to Luke, readjusting Jacen in her arms when he began to fidget, “Luke, this is Captain Rex. He served alongside your father in the Clone Wars.”

Luke’s face lit up, eyes widening in shock, “you knew my father?!” He asked Rex, who was taken aback momentarily. 

“Uh, yeah!” He replied, “Anakin Skywalker. He was-... my best friend,” Luke smiled. It was so bright and overwhelmingly happy that Rex found himself smiling too. Anakin had a son? A son! A son who looked just like his father and-

Luke had Senator Amidala’s eyes. Damn. Ahsoka owed him thirty credits. 

“ _ Lieutenant Skywalker, report to Conference Room 4, _ ” a voice said over the ship’s intercom system. Luke’s shoulder sagged as he grumbled. 

“Really? Now?” He whined, but reluctantly grabbed his helmet from where it was resting on a crate under his ship. The boy turned back to Rex and bit his lip, “it was really nice meeting you; I wish we could talk more-uh, would you like to grab a drink at the cantina later?” He asked. 

“Are you even old enough to drink”? Rex hadn’t meant to voice that aloud, but the shock of finding out his best friend had a kid was still wearing off. Luke just laughed. 

“I get that a lot,” he admitted, “ yeah, I am. I’m twenty.” Twenty? He would have been born just as the Clone Wars was ending. Wait, had Luke ever even met his father? 

“How does 1900 hours sound?” Rex asked him. 

“Perfect!” Luke replied. Damn, the kid’s smile was infectious. Luke said his goodbyes and saluted the pair before running off to his meeting, leaving behind a surprised captain, a general who was feeling very proud of herself, and a baby who was giggling at Artoo as he entertained. 

“How…” Rex couldn’t form the words. Hera placed a hand on his shoulder. 

“He’s the pilot who destroyed the Death Star,” she explained to him, “Luke was assigned to the mission today and he mentioned that his father was the same Jedi General you fought alongside.” She shrugged, trying to stop Jacen from wriggling out of her arms, “Luke’s a bit of a loose canon; reckless, but well meaning. He could use a mentor, someone to keep him on track. I couldn’t think of anyone better than you.”

Tears formed in Rex’s eyes. His friends were gone, his brothers were lost across the galaxy, but in the rebellion not only had he found a family, but Luke, the last connection he had to those he had lost, wanted to get to know him. His nephew - was he allowed to call Luke that? Could he be Uncle Rex to this kid? - who he was having a drink with later needed a mentor, apparently. 

You could be damn well sure Rex was going to do everything for that boy. He owed Anakin that much. He deserved that much. 

**Author's Note:**

> "Maman" - informal variant of "mother", ryl  
> "Papi" - one variant of "grandfather", ryl  
> "Baba" - no meaning, I made this up


End file.
